Initially, the Hyderabad metro will run from 6 am to 10 pm. It would be rescheduled - 5.30 am to 11 pm - depending on traffic and demand.

New Delhi: The Hyderabad metro rail opened to the public today a day after it was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who took the inaugural ride with Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. In the first phase, the metro will cover a 30-km stretch covering 24 stations between Miyapur and Nagole. The Hyderabad Metro line - said to be the largest public-private partnership project in the world - will eventually be a 72-km elevated stretch and is expected to be completed by next year.

Here are 10 facts on Hyderabad Metro:

Initially, the Hyderabad metro will run from 6 am to 10 pm. It would be rescheduled - 5.30 am to 11 pm - depending on traffic and demand, Telangana's Information and Technology Minister KT Rama Rao has said.

The minimum fare has been fixed at Rs 10 for a distance of up to 2 km while the maximum has been set at Rs 60 for a distance of more than 26 km.

Smart cards for the metro have been on sale through the weekend; these can also be used for other transport in the city. The smart card costs Rs 200 and can be recharged for a maximum of Rs 3,000; it is valid for a year.

A mobile app named 'T Savari' was also launched by the prime minister for Hyderabad metro passengers.

The trains will run from Miyapur in north Hyderabad to Ameerpet - a connecting station - on corridor one, and from Ameerpet to Nagole in the eastern side of the city. Corridor 2 has been planned from Jubilee Bus Station to Falaknuma and will have 15 stations and Corridor 3 will be extended from Raidurg to Nagole and will have 24 stations in future.

A city-based businessman said it normally took him 45 minutes to travel between Miyapur and Ameerpet by other modes of transport, but now with metro he reached his destination in barely 20 minutes. "It's an awesome experience," he said.

As many as 546 security personnel from private security service agencies will man the metro stations on the Miyapur-Nagole stretch. They will be working under three uniformed police officials per station in each shift.

The Hyderabad Metro Rail project is the first 'transit oriented development' (TOD) project that will exploit the real estate and earn revenue by leasing out commercial and office spaces inside and outside the metro stations, said an official.

The rapid transit project has been planned with two components - stations along the elevated metro rail system and TOD branded 'Hyderabad Next'. In future, 'Hyderabad Next' will be developed with various assets like office and retail spaces, hospitality, healthcare and mixed use facilities, an official statement said.

The Hyderabad metro project will eventually include feeder bus services, parking facility at strategic locations and have connectivity with other modes of transport. A plan to build sky-walks connecting the stations directly to commercial complexes, stadiums and offices is also in order.